Recovery Road: Part 1/ Chapters 1 to 3 – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

Within the first 3 chapters not much is said, but we do get a brief introduction about what type of rehab Spring Meadow is and we learn a little bit about our protagonist Madeline.

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Characters & Story

Spring Meadow rehab is not, per 16-year-old Madeline, the ideal place for rehabilitation. It has criminals, addicts, and possibly prostitutes; the staff don’t have a maternal level of empathy; and they make you clean the facility. But with Madeline having drug and alcohol issues, this is where her parents placed her. And, as of chapter 3, she is 38 days sober.

Commentary

With Jessica Sula, of Skins fame, playing the role of Madeline, it is hard to not want a heads up on what may go down in the series. And while, arguably, Pretty Little Liars has long outlasted the luster of the books, it is hard to not want to see a teen rehab on ABC Family. After all, between Twisted, The Fosters, and Switched At Birth the network has had many characters which had mental illnesses and addictions. So with a show focused just on those type of characters, it is hard to not get your hopes up.

Now, expectations of the adaption aside, when it comes to the source material I find myself very interested in the story due to how the rehab has thus far been setup. For with it not being presented as some pristine day spa, but the rehab equivalent to a nursing home you would put a parent you despise in, I’m quite excited. Plus, as mentioned in the “Things To Note” section, we have quite a few interesting characters to meet. And while this Deadline article only mentions who Sula is playing, it is quite fun to guess who recognizable names like Sharon Leal, Kyla Pratt and, Sula’s fellow Skins alumni, Sebastian De Souza, maybe.

Things To Note

Three characters are mentioned, but not noted above: Ms. Rinaldi, who seemingly is one of the head contact people for the facility; Cynthia, Madeline’s counselor; Angela, someone who is prejudice against white people; Britney, who really loves Diet Pepsi; Jenna, a new girl who maybe a thief, and is described as trailer trash; and Trish, an 18 year old, who is the closest thing to a friend Madeline has.